While the phrase "wildly underrated" is probably not quite fitting for Martin Scorsese‘s 1993 period drama "The Age Of Innocence," the film certainly deserves a reappraisal. Arriving after "Goodfellas" and "Cape Fear," it was a big switch in direction for the filmmaker and given the lukewarm reception the movie received at the time, it wasn’t a big surprise that two years later he essentially made a new version of "Goodfellas" with "Casino." But as we noted in our Martin Scorsese Retrospective last year, while the movie "is neither as broad nor as deep as Scorsese at his best, there is still a great deal to enjoy here." And perhaps the brief documentary below will inspire you to give it another chance.
Running 25 minutes long, it’s a nice look into the making of the Edith Wharton adaptation. Scorsese and his lead actor Daniel Day-Lewis frame the featurette with conversation regarding its production, including anecdotes from cinematographer Michael Ballhaus, screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi (who details Scorsese’s process, though Jay Cocks penned the script), production designer Dante Feretti, editor Thelma Schoonmaker, and stars Michelle Pfeiffer and Winona Ryder. Set aside some time, and give it a spin below. [Will McCrabb]
